"So how old is this sister of yours?" For some reason, I feel like starting a conversation. The ride is already getting awkward.
"Interested, are we White?" Ashton has this look on his face, which gives me a sudden urge to punch him.
When I tell Ashton my situation, he immediately agrees to help. Well not without making a little fun of me (like I'm desperate for him, missing him already, trying to give him my address already blah blah). But in the end, I get in his Aston Martin with him. I laugh when I see it. Ashton Fellan owns an Aston Martin, now that rings a bell.
He informs me he has half an hour to kill anyway (and joked how he would like to get my address-I give him my real address after a lot of mental debate).
"Her name is Riley. She's eight, going in third grade." He tells me.
"I have a sister too."
"I know, her name is Katherine."
My pause and turn to face him. "How do you know that?" Is he spying me now?
But Ashton waves a hand dismissively. "Don't think so highly of yourself," he says. "She came to me the other day. She and a friend of hers. What was her name again?" He taps his chin. "Oh yes, Leigh."
I raise a brow. "Then what?"
"Well your sister apologized to me on your behalf, for the article you published," he smirks. "Then I told her it's alright and she doesn't have to take someone's responsibility. And then Leigh asked for my number."
My jaw hits the floor. "What?!" That piece of shit! Wait till I get my hands on her.
"Don't worry. I told them my parents took all my electronics from me, including my phone, after the blame her sister put on me. Those sweet girls felt so sorry for me and apologized again before leaving."
I feel hot smoke coming out of my ears. "When did this happen?"
"Yesterday?"
"And you didn't feel it necessary to tell me till now?"
The car stops at a signal and his hands shot up. "You didn't bring it up before now."
I pull him down by his collar so our eyes are on the same level. "A humble request, please if you ever, I mean ever see my sister ask for your or any of your friend's number around, do inform me."
He smirks. "Now your boyfriend won't find it nice if he ever heard about this." He points a finger to the distance between us and untangles my hand from his collar. "And as I told you I haven't given them my number. They are not the first freshmen who approached me. Hence, I don't give sophomores my number too. They are too-how to put it-young for me?"
I mentally snort. Says the king of heartbreak.
When he figures that's not exactly helping my case, he slings an arm around my shoulder. "Chill, it was her friend who asked my number, not her."
I sigh and look at my lap. "But she was with her." The green sign appears and Ashton drives the car to the left.
He's not getting it. No one does. This is not a good sign. This reminds me of my freshman year when I was that naive and stupid too. Cora used to go around and ask for all the jocks number and I, as stupid I was, followed her everywhere. As if it was a game.
Kat won't understand what I'm saying now. Because she doesn't know what I had to went through because of the same mistake she is making.
"Come on, take a chill pill." Ashton offers me an Orbit. I take it from him.
"You won't get it now Fellan," I say. "Just imagine your sister going around, asking a total player and douchebag for his number, how would you feel?" I look at him as his features harden.
He has this piece of hair on his forehead which I'm tempted to brush off myself.
"That won't happen in my sister's case, because I'll send her to an all-girls school before she even starts middle school." I roll my eyes, of course, he would. "And hey! Who are you calling players and douchebags? I'll let you know I'm a very fine gentleman."
"Gentleman?" I snort. "Do I need to take more pictures to prove my statement?"
"So you admit it was you?" He cocks his brows.
"I told you before, I had taken the photo, but I thought I destroyed it and the article isn't my writing too."
"Speaking of it," he says. "Weren't you supposed to have your weekend meeting after school today?"
I shake my head. "Jason had to go to DC for some kind of competition today. We'll have a meeting tomorrow. The press guy comes tomorrow at noon. We'll finalize it and hand it over to him afterward ourselves. Moreover, I need to talk with him about swapping. Maybe he would know what had happened."
"Great I'll come too," he says.
"What?" I think I misheard him.
"I say I want to join your meeting tomorrow. I want to talk to him too."
"But you can't come to our meeting like that. You're an outsider."
"Exactly. I'm an outsider and I demand to know why you have exposed something so private about me in front of the whole school. I'm sure Mrs. Roth won't mind. And even if she does, I'm sure you can manage her. You're her favorite student."
"I'm not the only one."
"Maybe, but not in our grade. She expects a lot from you and a Lil favor for a friend won't hurt."
I smirk. "So we're friends now?"
"Well not exactly friends, allies?" He suggests.
"Hmm," I take my time to reply. "Sure why not?"
"So let's seal the deal, what do you say?" He asks.
"Deal?" This earns me an eye roll from him.
"We don't have the prettiest history. We didn't exactly like each other when we first met. You're my rival's girlfriend. We weren't interested in becoming friends with each other. But now in this difficult time, we're befriending. You'll help me to find the person who leaked that photo and prove to the coach that the article was not a self-promo to challenge his ideology."
"What's in it for me?"
"I won't report on you for invading my privacy. Trust me when I say my dad knows people." I roll my eyes. Never get mixed up with people with money.
But maybe a little help won't be so bad after all. So I take his hand and shake it.
"Okay, we have a deal." I add, "But you have to promise me you can't blame me or the committee if things doesn't go the way you hoped."
Ashton clutches a hand over his heart. "Sealed with my blood," he says with a smile. "Now let's drink to celebrate."
He brings out two Coca-cola cans from the backseat. We're they there all this time? "To fraternize with my enemy!" He toasts. I roll my eyes but toast anyway.
Soon, Aston pulls in front of our house. I was about to get out when Ashton stops me.
"What now?" I ask, getting a bit irritate.
Ashton smirks at my reaction and says, "When do I have to pick you up tomorrow?" I give him a questioning look. "For the meeting tomorrow. When will I have to pick you up?" Before I can protest, he adds, "I know you have a car and can drive too, but I think it's better if I go there with you. Moreover, your house is on the way."
I hesitate. I mean, I don't know Ashton for long, but he did drive me home today when I needed a ride badly. And to be fair, he didn't seem nothing like rumors say about him.
"Come on Snow, it's really fine, I don't bite," Ashton says. "Hard." This forcing a laugh out of me. His eyes glints amusedly as he waits -almost- patiently for my reply.
"Okay then," I say finally. I notice him fist pumping the air from the corner of my eyes. So much for being mature. "Be here sharp at nine thirty, the meeting starts at ten."
Ashton salutes. "Aye aye captain."
"Then see you tomorrow, nine-thirty at sharp," he repeats as I leave his car. I wait until he backs out from our driveway.
"Derek got a new car?" Mom asks as I enter the house.
I yelp in shock. "Mom don't scare me like that." I'm not surprised to see her home this early, with a baking bowl in her hands.
You see, being professors of colleges has its own perk. You don't have to do 10-6 eight hour jobs. Or more, like my dad.
Currently, my mom took an interest in baking, which explains the baking bowl in her hands. I hope she won't put salt in it instead of sugar this time.
"Answer my question lady," she says.
I sigh and take the backpack off my shoulder. "No, he hadn't."
"But I just saw you get off that-"
"That's not him mom," I assure her. "Derek got stuck with practice so I drove home with Ashton."
Kat's head appears from the upstairs. "You rode back home with Ashton. Like Ashton Fellan?"
I narrow my eyes at her. Of course, she would like to know that.
"Who is this guy? Is he some kind of celebrity?" Mom asks out of curiosity.
"Yeah mom, he's-"
"A guy from my grade," I cut in and turn to mom. "Seriously mom, he's a nobody."
Then I turn back to my lovely sister.
"You young lady, come with me," I say getting up on the stairs. "You and I have a lot to discuss." With that, I drag my sister to my room.
ð¸
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